Just Like In Comic Books
by Candy Stars
Summary: Movieverse. What'll happen when a human girl accidentally discovers and befriends the turtles? It all sounds great, until they find the relationship with the Foot clan that even she didn't know she had. OCx? :D Compleeete.
1. Strange beginnings

A/N: Thanks for opening up my newest story! Hope you enjoy it. Obviously, I don't own Ninja Turtles, but I hope I do them _some_ justice. If you don't like original characters, you've been warned. (:

"In New York freedom looks like too many choices  
In New York I found a friend to drown out the other voices" – U2

--

She kept running, the battered backpack bouncing up and down on her shoulders. She knew that they were faster than her, and there wasn't anywhere to hide from them. It was like a daily routine. After school, they'd tease and follow her. Then she'd start running, and they would follow. Sometimes she could get away, but it wasn't often.

"Let's see what you've got today," grinned the tallest one, his goons ripping the bag from her and giving it to him. He walked with it until he spotted an open manhole, where he casually dropped it. _Splash._

"See you on Monday, kid!" The group howled with laughter as they left her alone in the rain. She shivered, peering down into the dark hole, nervously stepping down onto the rusted ladder.

The water was up to her ankles; she knew her mother would be furious. She squinted in an attempt to find her bag. It was already dark from the clouds overhead, but she only had her old pair of glasses on; she'd broken her new ones. Her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration.

She jumped when she _swore_ she saw a shadow- more specifically, a silhouette.

"H-Hello?" she asked, her quivering voice echoing throughout the tunnel. She shuddered, following where she thought the shadow had gone. She knew she had time to kill; her parents had to work late that night.

"I-Is anyone t-there?" She saw it again, and started chasing after it- whoever it was, they were quick!

"Come back! Who are you?" She called, splashing loudly with every step she took. She was thankful it was the weekend- her school uniform was filthy.

"Come on! I need to find my bag!" Just then, another shadow darted in front of her, though it was thinner and taller. It didn't leave, though.

"What's a little girl like you doing _here_?" He questioned as he came into view. He was completely dressed in black; only his eyes were visible.

"P-Please sir, I-I don't want trouble!"

"Then why are you down here?"

"I-I--" She screamed as something whizzed past her head.

"Hey, can'tcha find someone better to fight than a little girl?" growled a voice, soon fighting fist-to-fist with the man in black, who was no match for him.

"You okay?" asked her savior gruffly, a splash of light hitting them. She gasped, shocked. _Green?_ She felt dizzy, light-headed… and then nothing at all.

When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was the awful scent- the best way she could describe it is if you had a bag full of pizza, then left it in the rain and didn't air it out. Opening her eyes, she found that was the least of her worries.

"Look! She woke up, guys!" hollered an unfamiliar voice belonging to… a giant turtle? She pinched her arm, but to no avail. Where the hell _was_ she?

"W-Who are you, and where've you taken me?" she tried to demand, but it came out sounding more frightened than anything as a shiver crawled up her spine. A furry hand clutched hers gently, helping her sit up. Staring at the much-too-oversized rat, she shook her head in disbelief.

"This is impossible! Who are you?"

"_I'm_ Michelangelo," piped the one in orange, the one who had yelled in excitement when she awoke. "But Mikey works too!"

"Donatello," the violet-wearing one said quietly. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Leonardo," introduced the blue masked one, glancing at his brother beside him, "And this is--"

"I can introduce myself, thanks." She immediately recognized him as the one who'd rescued her. "Raphael."

"And my name is Splinter," concluded the rat, nodding. They all watched her carefully, and she began to feel slightly more uneasy.

"W-Well, I'm Hazel," she stuttered, "And I'm sorry for causing trouble, I was just looking for my bag, when--"

"You mean this?" beamed Michelangelo, holding up the once-yellow bag.

"Interesting structure," commented Donatello, "Nothing inside got wet."

"Cool comics, too!"

"Y-You read those!?" Hazel bit her lip.

"Yeah, why? Did you just buy 'em?"

"I-I drew them…" Hazel blushed. "I don't generally let anyone read them. Someone could rip it up again."

"But they're totally _awesome!_"

"My school's full of rich kids who can get away with anything they want to. I got in on a scholarship, but only 'cos the guy who actually won it had to move out of state." She shook her head. Was she really telling her life story to _turtles?_ Had she hit her head on the way down?

She found life was not so simple for the turtles, either. She had assumed that, based on their appearance, but she hadn't realized they were also _crime fighting ninjas._ It turns out that the man who'd found her in the sewer was also a ninja, but an evil one. Hazel chewed her nail as she listened to the story, in disbelief that all of this could be happening without anyone noticing!

"So…" Michelangelo was sitting cross-legged, fascinated by the new human girl. "Does this mean you're gonna be friends with us?"

"_Mikey_," Donatello sighed. Hazel smiled shyly.

"R-Really?" She turned pink. "You'd want me to? I mean, I don't really have any friends at school. So… that would be, um… Awesome!" She glanced at the watch around her right wrist.

"Oh my gosh! I should really be going, it's getting late." She was showed to the nearest exit, which she was relieved to find was not far from her home.

"Thank you," She smiled, glancing especially at Raphael, "F-For everything."

The October sky was already getting dark. Hazel rushed out of the empty alley, brushing off her skirt. A familiar blue car slowed down beside her, the window rolling down.

"Honey! What're you doing out so late? That's not safe, you know!" Her mother's face looked worried as Hazel climbed into the car.

"You're filthy! Did you get into a fight? Are you hurt?" Her mother had a slight worry about their family living in New York; they'd only lived here a few years.

"Mom, I'm fine. I wasn't in a fight!"

"Well, you'd better do your laundry before your father gets home, or he'll be furious!" Hazel grunted doubtfully. Her father hadn't been coming home right after work lately. She could only guess what was happening; she had several theories.

Even so, she put her uniform in the wash as soon as she got home. She laid on her bed with her sketchbook, her head propped up with several pillows. She opened the worn-out book, dark fingerprints now dotting the white pages.

She wanted so desperately to go back, but she knew she'd be dragged off to a weekend filled with her younger cousins, who couldn't seem to find a babysitter. She didn't doubt the reason why.

Hazel fell asleep sketching tiny reptilian ninjas.

--

Thank you so much for reading my first chapter! I'd really appreciate any reviews, positive or negative (as long as it's constructive criticism) so please consider! Hope you'll stick around for the next chapters. (:


	2. Suspicion

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! My Transformers fic, unfortunately, seems to be my main priority most of the time as far as fics go. But it's almost done, so then this one will take its place. (;

"'Cause a dream's no crime  
Not once upon a time  
Once upon a time in New York City" –Huey Lewis

--

As Hazel had expected, her cousins were being little terrors, as usual. Her aunt had left her a twenty-dollar bill on the table as she put the cushions back in the couch after the three tiny monsters had used them for a fort.

Hazel snatched the money and shoved it into her jeans pocket. She'd been saving for a while to buy new glasses, and now she had enough. It was three o'clock- she had time if she took the bus.

She disliked taking the bus, but she liked shopping. Entering the eyeglass store, she grinned, knowing exactly what she wanted. She bought the same pair of frames she'd gotten last time, before she broke them. Hazel liked the boxy black-plastic frames, and she had money to spare.

By the time she got home, it was dark. Her mom left a note saying she'd be going to a friend's party and not to wait up. _Perfect,_ she thought, pulling her sweater back on heading outside. Making sure there was no one in sight, she slipped down the manhole.

"Hello?" Hazel asked. Raphael turned around, grunting.

"Oh, it's you."

"I-I'm sorry, is it a bad time? I'll leave—"

"I was just gonna go meet the others at April and Casey's. They were talking about you meetin' 'em anyway." He walked over to the phone and picked it up, dialing a string of numbers.

"Hey April. I'll be right over, I'm bringin'—Oh, Mikey told you about her. See ya." Hazel blushed, looking over at him.

"W-Who am I meeting, exactly?"

"Friends." He grabbed a worn-out brown trench coat and a dark fedora, giving her a strange look. She didn't notice, she was looking at the ground. Compared to him, she was short. Slightly pudgy around the waist and hips, but her posture told him she was insecure about it. She looked up from her feet, toward him. Her new glasses were already slightly askew, and her bushy ginger hair- it reminded him of how April's used to be- was tied back into equally lopsided pigtails.

"S-So how far is it?" she blurted, her eyes darting away from his.

"Couple blocks," he shrugged, shuffling over to the exit. "Come on." She hurried after him, back out the way she came. She watched carefully for her parents' cars, not wanting to get in trouble.

"Relax, okay? Nobody's gonna find you."

"S-Sorry…" The rest of the walk was silent. A tall, thin woman with red hair answered the door.

"I can't believe you still wear that old thing, Raph. You're Hazel, right? Come in." It was strange to see the turtles in a normal house. Shyly, Hazel sat down in the first empty spot she saw, beside Donatello; Raphael sat beside Casey, who had a dumb grin on his face.

"Guess what?" Mikey had an equally wide grin. "Casey and April are getting _married!_" Raph stared at Casey, who nodded.

"I knew it," His smirk seemed fake to Hazel.

"Umm… Congratulations!" Hazel smiled shyly.

"Thanks," April smiled, glancing at her ring, "But we've got bad news as well. You know how the Foot's been pretty quiet since the incident with Winters? Well…" April grimaced. "They've gone from hiring teenagers to hiring middle class workers with more experience… At increased pay."

"Wouldn't _that_ be nice," muttered Casey, getting a punch to the shoulder from Raph for it.

"Have you heard anything about that, Hazel?" April asked curiously. Hazel shook her head truthfully.

"Not yet, but… My parents might have, I-I can ask later." April smiled warmly at the newcomer.

"That'd be great."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Raph crossed his arms, "We don't need extra help." Hazel scooted back in her seat, flustered.

"Raph," warned Leo, "She's just trying to help."

"How's she going to help?!" Raph yelled. "'Oh Mommy, did a ninja ask you to join them today? Oh, my giant turtle friends wanted ta know!'"

Hazel's eyes welled up with tears, so she lowered her head to try and mask it as the drops sunk into her jeans. She didn't even know _why_ she was so offended. Bullies had said things much worse to her and barely left a mark.

Rubbing her eyes, she lifted her head again, her face red. Donnie sighed.

"Raph, you've gotta stop doing that. It's not healthy, and Hazel was only—" But Raph had already taken off.

"I-I'm sorry," sniffed Hazel. "It wasn't my business."

"He's not like that all the time!" assured Mikey, "Just… Most of the time."

"He'll warm up to you," sighed April. The silence made Hazel nervous.

"M-Maybe I should get going."

"Here, in that case I'll come with you. It's not safe for you to travel alone." Leo stood up, and the other two remaining brothers exchanged glances. They both knew he was just going to try and confront Raph after Hazel went home.

"I-It was very nice to meet you," smiled Hazel toward the only other humans there before she left with Leo.

"I apologize for Raph's rudeness," sighed Leo once they were underground.

"I-It's okay, really! I-I can see his point…"

"Well, I'll talk to him about his _behavior_," Leo grumbled. "He's so immature."

"He… He just sounds suspicious of me. I can see where he's coming from. I-I'm sure its very stressful to have to hide… A-And if someone who found you told…" Hazel looked worried, and Leo smiled.

"We're quite able to get away from people when we have to. At the same time, he isn't careful enough about that sometimes…"

"Oh."

"Are you all right?"

"I-I just don't like talking about other people behind their back, you know?"

"That's smart," came Raph's voice as he walked toward them. "Still trying to turn everyone against me, Leo?"

"I'd say you do a good job of it on your own." Hazel frowned, her hands shaking.

"P-Please don't fight," she pleaded, "I-I don't want to turn against anyone, and I-I'm not going to." She tried to smile, but got a strange look on her face.

"I'm taking her home. Do what you want."

"Maybe I'll just come along." Hazel could almost _feel_ the tension between the brothers getting worse with every step in the darkness.

When Hazel got home, she was relieved to find no one there. She sat down at the kitchen table with a half-ripe banana, and then froze. On the table was a stack of money she'd never seen before, nothing else was moved or disturbed from its original place. Then, there was a loud creak from upstairs.

--

Oh wow, suspense! Thanks for reading, and sorry it took so long to update. Please review! I love you guys (:


	3. Apple

A/N: Don't own Ninja Turtles! Har Har. (: The lyrics I picked to open this one made me giggle. Silly Thriller!

"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark  
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart" –Michael Jackson

--

Shivering, Hazel crept up the stairs, praying it was only nothing. She had found a flashlight and was waving it around frantically.

"H-Hello?" she asked, seeing a shadow on the wall coming closer. Her heart throbbed in her chest as she inched toward the figure.

"Hey, mind not shining that in my eyes?"

"D-Dad? Why're you home so early?" Hazel pointed the flashlight at the floor.

"My boss let me go early, so I got you something. I was going to show you in the morning, but I guess you weren't asleep like I'd thought."

"Dad, it's only nine…" She followed him to her parents' room, where the lights were also off.

"Close your eyes then." Hazel did as told, until she felt something furry in her arms. A tiny kitten stared up at her, mewing. She giggled.

"Wow," she smiled, "About time." She'd wanted a cat for ages and used to joke about it a lot.

"That's not all. Don't tell her, but I got your mother a new car," he grinned.

"Ooooh," Hazel giggled. "I'll be in my room. Gotta name my kitty!" She nearly hopped off to her room, completely forgetting about her worries from earlier.

The kitten was probably just barely old enough to leave its mother. It was white, with patches of black, and had bright blue eyes. As curious as it seemed to be, it only wanted to curl up on Hazel's bed at the moment.

The problem was the name; Hazel wanted it to be perfect. She sighed, sketching the tiny feline. A smile crept over her face as she did so, the perfect name popping into her head.

Hazel felt exhausted, so she ended up going to sleep much earlier than she'd thought. However, she awoke when a few hours later, her mother was screaming in excitement and delight.

"Oh, it's a beautiful car, honey!" giggled her slightly tipsy mother who was sitting on the end of her bed as Hazel lay there, half asleep. "But I'll tell you the rest in the morning!"

"How thoughtful of you," muttered Hazel, wrapping the blankets around herself.

Hazel was fond of Sundays. Usually, they'd be more laid-back and her parents might _actually_ be home. But she was _not _expecting what she got this Sunday.

"We're going on holidays," announced her dad.

"Really? Where're we going?" Hazel's eyes widened.

"You can't come, silly! You've got _school._" Her mom smiled.

"Oh…"

Meanwhile, not too far from there, the turtles had their own problems. Raphael was doing _everything_ in his power to anger Leo, including playing the music so loudly through his stereo it rattled the swords on his brother's walls.

"What'd they even fight about?" asked Mikey, mashing the buttons on his controller, knocking out the on-screen Donnie.

"Don't ask me questions in the middle of a game! It breaks my focus," Donnie huffed. Mikey grinned at him.

"I know! It always works, too!" Donnie sighed.

"To answer your question, I don't know why they fought. It must have been while we were still at April's." But Mikey was already playing his game again.

Hazel decided it best to stay home that day and let things calm down a bit before going back. Plus, her parents weren't leaving the house, so it'd be hard to get out.

"So, what'd you name it?" Her mom stood in the doorway, a hand held to her forehead.

"Apple."

"What?"

"Apple, like the painting. _Young Man with an Apple_."

"You're not a young man."  
"It was either that or name it _Unicorn_." Her mother rolled her eyes and left. Hazel stared out her window, frowning at the buildings surrounding her house; she would never be used to them.

Hazel had grown up in a small town in Ontario- she'd only recently gotten her American citizenship, and she was _still_ not accustomed to living here. In fact, she wanted to go back. Well, she _did…_

Raphael wanted _nothing_ to do with his older brother. He stayed in his room so he wouldn't see him, and kept his music loud enough so he couldn't hear him. Knowing Leo, he was probably just telling everyone how dumb he was. At least, that's how Raph saw it. He just wanted to _smash_ him sometimes.

As her parents packed, Hazel felt a complete uneasiness. Being alone frightened her- not when it was just for a few hours, but the idea of _days_ made her shiver. Letting Apple curl up in her lap, she began to draw the turtles again. She barely knew them, but… They inspired her.

There was times when she still insisted that she _had_ to be dreaming. Things like this just _didn't _happen. She sifted her hair through her fingers, sighing. No dream would last this long.

Carefully, she tore the page she'd just drawn on out of her sketchbook and stood up to place it on her desk. She rummaged for her pens so she could ink it before she coloured it. Sitting down, she sighed. She just wanted to make peace with Raphael, for whatever she'd done. Truthfully, she admired him for rescuing her- in the few years she'd lived there, no one had ever done that.

"And now he hates me," she muttered, making long strokes with her pen.

Hours later, she finally finished coloring her little project, smiling and grabbing one of the plastic folders she kept assignments for art class in.

Raphael had gone through all the CDs he owned and was getting bored. Not to mention he was getting an earache. He turned off the stereo and sat in silence. He wondered to himself for a moment.

"Did I scare her away?"

--

Woo, sorry this chapter is a little short. .. But I wanted to update for you guys! And due to popular request I gave a bit of background on Hazel. Sorry for not having as much turtle-ness as most of you would have liked.

REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU: D but I've been getting tons, wow! Thanks! 3


	4. Insanity

A/N: Don't own Ninja Turtles! What a shame.

"Mmm... we're standing so far apart  
We had a string of false starts  
I can't seem to stop it now  
It grows and it grows and it grows"—The Rolling Stones

--

"You seem cheery today, Hazel." Her art teacher smiled at her, peering at her work. She blushed, nodding.

"Oh, well I-I had a good weekend, Miss Welter." Hazel glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. Usually, she dreaded the end of the day- but the bullies hadn't even bothered her in the halls or in class today. She packed away her supplies, putting her newly finished project on her teacher's desk- of course, she didn't care about that one- her mind wandered toward her _other _new piece.

When the bell rang to signify school was over for yet another dismal Monday, Hazel hurried to her locker. She pulled on her sweater and snatched her backpack from its hook, rushing outside.

Pleasantly surprised to find no one following her home, Hazel carefully lowered herself into the manhole she was quickly becoming familiar with.

"Hey Hazel!" cried Mikey, jumping off of his skateboard and running over to her. She giggled.

"Hi, Mikey."

"You come and visit lots, don't you?"

"Oh! Is that bad? I-I'm sorry—"

"No way! It's cool. I'm just not used to it 'cos April's always busy so we don't get to see her as much anymore." Hazel nodded sadly in sympathy.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Oh! Uh, they said they'd be back soon," grinned Mikey, "Wanna play a game? I'm not really much of an entertainer…"

"Sure! I'm not that good, though." She laughed.

Hazel laughed in surprise when she looked at the screen.

"You guys have your own game?" she smiled.

"Well… It's really just Street Fighter." Hazel nodded, seeing some of the original characters still remained; she chose Ryu.

"I used to play this at the arcade down the street from me when I was a kid."

"There was an arcade that close to here?"

"Well, no… I used to live in Ontario."

"Oh, so _that's _why you talk like that!"

"Mikey, that's really rude of you," Donnie sighed, walking in with his other two brothers just as game-Mikey finished Ryu off.

"Told you I was no good," laughed Hazel nervously, avoiding eye contact with Raph at all costs, "H-Hi guys, I-I drew you all something…"

"What? You didn't show _me_!" Mikey whined. Hazel smiled, fumbling with the zipper on her backpack as her hands trembled. All of her life, she kept fearing what others thought, to an almost ridiculous level.

"Well, h-here it is," she sighed, pulling out the small folder as the brothers leaned in, staring at it. Many different comments poured out all at once, but only one really stuck out in Hazel's ears.

"It's good," Raph had mumbled quickly and quietly amongst his brothers' louder praises. Hazel turned pink, a faint smile evident on her face.

"Thanks, guys." She handed it to Donnie, who had requested a closer look.

"I look _so_ sweet," Mikey bragged, looking over his brother's shoulder. Hazel sat down, sighing.

"You okay?" Raph sat down opposite her, making her shiver.

"I-It's just… My parents are leaving for their vacation tomorrow, and they won't be back for a week or two," she stammered, "A-And I'm just paranoid, is all."

"No one's gonna hurt you."

"I wish I could believe that…" She shrugged. Mikey jumped over the couch and landed beside Raph.

"Pizza guy's here!"

The next day after school, Hazel was told she had to come home straight away. She found a cab there, and her parents packing their bags into it. Her mom hugged her tightly.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much! Don't do anything to the house, okay?"

"I-I won't." After the cab drove away, Hazel headed back into the house. She had hardly slept the previous night- everything that was bothering her just wouldn't back down and let her sleep. Now, she couldn't stop thinking about that picture. He said it was _good_. It must've been a lie; she knew he hated her… But _why?_ She had no idea.

"If he hates me so much, why'd he friggin' rescue me?" she grumbled to Apple, stomping up the stairs to her room. Her bed creaked loudly when she flopped onto it, glaring at the ceiling.

"I shouldn't even give a shit what he says!"

"Meow."

Hazel yawned, her eyelids feeling heavier and heavier. Apple curled up beside her, and soon the pair were both asleep.

"Crap!" Hazel pried her kitten from her chest several hours later, her uniform now covered in black and white cat hair.

"How long did I sleep for? Crap!" she whined, getting out of her uniform as fast as she could, as if it had a plague. She changed into a bright yellow, short sleeved dress, with black leggings underneath. She tied a yellow ribbon into a bow in her hair.

"Well, don't I look fabulous?" She grumbled, picking up her uniform and taking it down to the laundry room.

Dumping soap into the machine with it, she glared at Apple, who had taken to following her wherever she went in the house. She was starting to think twice about naming her that- after all, she was named after a _Raphael_ painting, of _all _artists… But… She _did _care. She _did _want _him_ to care. She screwed her face up in anger.

"I'm talking to my cat, my parents ditched me for a random vacation, and I'm in love with a mutated _turtle_ who hates me!" She balled her hands into fists just as she heard a knock at the door.

"And it gets better!" She shuffled off in her bare feet to the door, opening it the small crack that the chain would allow. She stared at her visitor, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"R-Raph, I-I… W-What are you doing here?"

"Not lettin' anyone hurt you, since you were so concerned about it." Hazel smiled shyly.

"Where're the others?"

"Home. Figured you didn't want your house _mangled._ Nice bow." Hazel laughed nervously, though she wished they'd have came along to make things less awkward. She let him in, sitting down in the living room.

"R-Raph?" she stammered, pulling on the silver band around her wrist.

"Huh?" Apple had crawled into his lap.

"D-Do you… hate me?"

--

YAY, ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE! And I'll be updating shortly, since I'm so addicted to writing this! POSSIBLY EVEN UPDATING TODAY. Wow. (: Please review! I love you guys.


	5. Confessional

A/N: Don't. Own. Ninja. Turtles.

"Violate all my love that I'm missing  
Throw away all the pain that I'm living  
You will believe in me  
And I can never be ignored" –Garbage

--

Raphael looked both confused and angry.

"What are you talking about?" Hazel sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles.

"Y-You know. D-Do you hate me? J-Just tell me the truth, 'kay?" She was shaking quite visibly.

"You think just 'cos I got mad at you that I _hate_ you?" He frowned, but it seemed softer this time.

"I-I don't know," sobbed Hazel. "What am I supposed to think? That you want to be friends? No…" Hazel coughed, sniffling and remaining silent. _Great,_ she thought, _he's going to think I'm a big crybaby. _

"Look," Raph sighed. "I'm just tryin' to look out for you, okay? What if you mentioned the Foot and the wrong person overheard? They'd track you down, they'd…"

"Then what about that night in the tunnels?"

"You think Leo ever says somethin' _nice_ about me? He only says when I'm _wrong. _He and everyone else would rather me not be around." Hazel had stopped crying.

"T-That's… How it is with me too," she sighed. "M-My parents just don't care."

"Finally, someone who gets it." Raph smirked. "You're more like me than I thought."

"L-Likewise," smiled Hazel. She turned on the television, flipping through the channels.

"What d'you like to watch? I mean, you're the guest…"

"Any horror?" Hazel nodded, trying to hide her distaste for the genre. She handed Raph the remote, taking every ounce of self-control she had to keep her composure.

"You seen this one?"

"I don't really watch many horror movies."

"_Oh,_" he smirked, making her want to shrink into disappearance, "You're scared of them."

"W-What? No! I… I just don't watch them!"

"Uh-Huh. Well, this one isn't _that_ bad. It's not like we couldn't switch if you don't like it." He shrugged.

"No, no! It's fine! Don't worry about me." Hazel smiled nervously at him; Raph sighed as the movie started playing. _Why'd she have to be so damn shy?_

"I'll leave if you don't want me around." Raph stood up, but Hazel grabbed his arm immediately.

"Please don't go," she pleaded, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of being alone, "I-I like you being here."

"And that's why you keep actin' like I'm gonna kill you?"

"I-I'm sorry, I-I don't mean to… I just…" Hazel pulled her dress over her knees. "I-I can't trust people yet. I've never had friends- I just assume people are only trying to befriend me to hurt me." Her eyes were wet with tears again.

"Don't cry, okay? Calm down, kid."

"K-Kid?" she sniffed, feeling her heart sinking a little.

"I didn't _really_ mean you were a kid." He rolled his eyes.

"S-Sorry, I'm just a little tired. I… I was so worried last night, I didn't sleep." Hazel looked at the TV for a minute, seeing a girl wandering around somewhere in the dark.

"Well, crying ain't helping you relax."

"Y-You're right." Hazel took a deep breath, assuring herself that he _couldn't _hate her now. She leaned back, watching the screen sleepily. Raph was right- this one wasn't scary. In fact, it was a little boring. She closed her eyes, and Raph didn't notice until she shifted, nearly jumping out of his shell when he felt her head fall onto his shoulder. _Great,_ he thought.

Hazel frowned. _Where am I?_ she wondered, opening her eyes. She was still leaning against Raph, her arms clinging to his. She yelped, jumping up and looking for the time.

"Raph! Wake up!" she cried, running around the house in an attempt to get organized.

"Wha--?"

"I-I'm so sorry, but I've got school in an hour!" She ran upstairs, yelling down to him, "If you're hungry just look in the fridge, okay?" A door slammed; Raph heard the shower running.

He couldn't even remember falling asleep. He only recalled browsing channels and wondering when Hazel would wake up… Well, she hadn't until now. He decided he had to get out.

Hazel rushed downstairs in her uniform, and then realized she'd been abandoned; her spirits dropped. She sighed, grabbing her backpack. It'd be a long day.

"Where were you all night?" cried Leo, furious. "You can't just disappear like that!"

"Seems like I just did," Raph growled. "You're not my babysitter, Leo! It's my life."

"I-I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Hazel looked down at her feet.

"Yeah," Raph huffed, storming off to his room. Leo rolled his eyes, but smiled toward Hazel.

"Don't mind him… You're here early, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah, it was a half-day today…" She looked toward her feet again.

"Um… Leo, I suppose it's not my business, but…" She shook her head. "Never mind."

"Are you alright?" Leo frowned.

"I… I just wanted to talk to Raph about something."

"I wouldn't suggest it now."

"I-I know." Hazel smiled bravely to him before walking down the dimly lit hallway, shivering. Knocking softly on the just-slammed door, Hazel held her breath.

"Whaddya want, Leo?" barked Raph from inside. Shakily, Hazel opened the door, peering inside shyly.

"I-It's me." Raph sighed, putting the headphones in his hands down.

"_What?_" He didn't _really_ want her seeing his room- it was an awful mess. She bit her trembling lip.

"I-I'm so sorry for earlier, I-I should've let you come back last night." Her face burned.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" He got to his feet, crossing his arms.

"But… Um…" Hazel sighed, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I was wondering… If you wanted to come by again. B-But this time we'd actually do something, I promise!" Raph could see her shaking; he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sick? You're shaking really badly." Hazel shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"R-Raph… I…" She could feel a lump in her throat; her heart hammering right under it.

"Spit it out, kid." Hazel winced.

"Raph… I… I really like you." She squeezed her eyes closed. "I-I'm sorry!" She opened the door behind her, bolting out and running as fast as she could without tripping over her own feet, vision blurred with fearful tears.

"Hazel!" Raph yelled, running after her, but Leo stopped him.

"What've you done _now!?_" He yelled, grabbing him so he couldn't follow her. Raph only growled in response, pushing him away, but Hazel was gone up to the surface now.

Hazel had run all the way back to her house, her neurotic side completely taking over her mind. She didn't have a single shred of hope in her body.

"Maybe I'm a cynic," she coughed to Apple, "But I think I just beat the record for shortest friendship."

"Meow."

--

Ohhhh man. Xx This chapter took a lot longer than I'd hoped, but it was so awkward to write.

Anyhoo, I know you'll be on my back to write more, but reviewing makes me write faster! Hint hint. :3


	6. Turning Point

A/N: If I owned Ninja Turtles, why would I be on as old as time  
True as it can be  
Barely even friends  
Then somebody bends  
Unexpectedly

Just a little change  
Small, to say the least  
Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Beauty and the Beast" – Celine Dion

--

It had been days since Hazel had visited the turtles- it was Saturday night, and she'd managed to become a complete nervous wreck. She couldn't eat much, and when she tried to draw, her focus went completely out the window. After filling a corner of her room with crumpled balls of paper, she sighed in frustration. Even her walls were making her mad- she'd gone out and bought bright turquoise paint to combat this, and had painted about a quarter of her wall space so far. Her parents had strongly opposed her ever painting her room, but if she looked at those mauve walls one more time, she would scream.

Not that anyone would hear her anyway.

She got up to paint some more, her stomach growling. Just as she made a few strokes of her large brush, she heard something tapping loudly at the window. She grumbled, putting the brush down and walking over to the window grumpily. She pushed the dusty curtains to the side, and jumped back in surprise. After catching her breath, she opened the window, letting her visitor crawl inside.

"You know I have a window, right Leo?" Hazel smiled, closing the window.

"Yes, well, your neighbors were outside." He nodded.

"Ah. Mind opening my door? It's going to smell like paint in here and maybe that'll help."

"Yeah, sure." He did as requested, and then there was silence.

"Hazel," Leo began, "Everyone's worried sick about you."

_Yeah,_ she thought, _that's why they've been visiting all the time._

"Raph won't tell us what happened- you're the only one who knows. Please, Hazel…"

"Leo, i-it's nothing. T-Trust me!" She started painting again, her strokes shaky.

"You ran out of there _crying_, Hazel. I'm not stupid." He rubbed the side of his head. "You can tell me. What'd he do?"

"I'm telling the truth, Leo, he didn't do_ anything_!"

"I won't let him hurt you, Hazel, just tell me--" Hazel threw her paintbrush to the floor, the blue paint splattering over the newspapers she'd spread over her carpet. Her lips trembled.

"Why do you think I'd lie?! I'm _not _lying, Leo! You want to know _why_ I ran? It wasn't because of something he said! _I _said what made me leave, okay? Stop blaming him for everything!" She crumpled her hands into fists, breath heavy.

"Hazel, I--"

"J-Just don't! Sorry to disappoint you!" She picked up her paintbrush again and began forcing the paint onto the walls. She paused, sighing.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. I-It's true, though."

"I see. Well, this has been… Enlightening."

"Yeah…" Hazel looked down at the paint-covered newspapers on her floor. _Mysterious gang activity on the rise,_ the headline read. She shivered, then turned to Leo; she'd never seen him embarrassed before.

"I'd better go," he laughed nervously, "I need to make some apologies."

"See you." He opened the window and slipped out, making Hazel giggle. She watched him sneak away, then closed her window, the cold breeze almost refreshing.

Raph leaned back on his bed, staring at the dirty, cracked ceiling above him. There was nothing else to do- if he even got up to get a drink, Leo was lecturing him within seconds about something he didn't even _know _about. He himself had no idea, either. What was he supposed to do? He'd only known _one _human girl, and well, April had Casey… and at times, weird hair.

He knew that if he didn't go and talk to her, he'd never see her again- and he didn't want that, either. He didn't know _what_ he wanted.

Raph had always envisioned he'd fall for someone… more like him. Misunderstood, an outcast… _Oh wait, _he thought. But at the same time, she was nothing like him. She was shy and quiet, a total pacifist… polite.

_I should just go see her, _he decided, _to hell with Leo._ He rolled off his bed and ambled to the door, but the knob turned before he could reach it.

"Hey," Leo sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about—" Raph let out a fake peal of laughter.

"Oh, that's a good one Leo! Tell me another!" He narrowed his eyes.

"Raph, be serious! I just went to Hazel's. She explained everything."

"_Everything?_"

"She didn't tell me whatever she said if _that's _what you mean."

"Good," he grumbled, grabbing his coat on the way out of his room.

Hazel _still _couldn't believe she'd yelled at someone. She chuckled to herself, trying to keep Apple from getting into the paint. Eventually, she just let her out of the room and closed the door, locking herself into the tomb of paint fumes.

She moaned in dread when she heard the doorbell. Dragging her feet the entire way, she pulled open the door and felt her heart nearly implode.

"Y'know, you should check who it is before you just open the door." Hazel stared at him.

"R-Raph… hi."

Meanwhile, Mikey stifled a giggle behind a bush, raising his head to peek in the window.

"We're _dead _if he finds us," Donnie reminded him, "We should go back."

"We're masters of stealth! No biggie!"

"D-Do you want something to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks." It was a lie; his throat was as dry as the Sahara.

"Uh… Leo said you talked to him." Hazel giggled, turning red.

"I-it was more like yelling, really." He snorted.

"_You _yelled at him? I'm almost proud…"

"Well, he kept thinking you said something to me…" she scrunched up her nose. "Not the other way around."

"Er, yeah. That's what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh." Her stomach felt as if it were turning over. _Here it comes,_ she thought, _the moment that will make me cry like a little girl. _

"I…" He paused, trying to think of the words without sounding like some sappy moron.

"I… Well…" He smirked, leaning in toward her ear, "Me too." Hazel's mind numbed; she stepped a little closer to him. _Jeez, _she told herself, _it's like the weirdest romance movie ever._

"I-I've never done anything like this before…"

"Me neither, well… Obviously." He laughed, looking down at her. Hazel smiled, getting up on her tiptoes before kissing him softly; secretly worried her heart might fly out and knock out his teeth.

Mikey stared at Donnie for a long time, his mouth hanging open.

"Told you we should've went home."

--

AND NOW THE FLAMES COME POURING IN! Honestly though, I could care less. This chapter was so fun to write.

REVIEWS HAPPY. You know the drill. (: The plot will get completely different from here, I promise! It gets to the… real part.


	7. Sunday Morning

A/N: You have NO IDEA how freaking sorry I am for being this delayed! -cries- I'm so sorry! Oh yeah, and I don't own Ninja Turtles. D:

"Finally he can cut through these strings,  
And open my wings!  
So goodbye until tomorrow!  
Goodbye until my feet touch the floor,  
And I will be waiting,  
I will be waiting!" – The Last Five Years

--

Raphael was _not_ overly fond of the fact that he had the direct attention of his entire family, save for Splinter. Having the eyes of all three of his brothers watching him as he came in was quite unnerving.

"What?" He barked. Mikey giggled.

"Raph and Hazel, sittin' in a tree---"

"It wasn't my idea!" Donnie added quickly. Raph growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Would _someone_ care to explain this?"

"I only wanted to see what you were doing!" Mikey explained innocently, "Then Donnie followed me!"

"I was _trying_ to get him to come back—"

"Don't even start," Raph growled, walking off. He'd never claimed to be incredibly intelligent or anything, but at least he could understand the concept of _privacy…_

Hazel, however, was significantly cheerier now, to the point where walking was now an obsolete mode of transportation and skipping was the norm.

"I'm quite possibly crazy!" she sang. "But I'm not the only one!" Despite the fact that Raph hadn't stayed long anyway, she didn't care, because for once, _something_ had gone right for her. With a grin, she finished her painting. If her parents despised it, it didn't mean a damn thing anymore.

She went to bed around midnight, and slept quite well, until a strange nightmare hit her just-happy mind. She couldn't see anything, but something was hitting her so hard she screamed… without sound. Meanwhile, they were demanding _something _from her, but she couldn't make any sense of it at all… She woke up with a shrill gasp, clutching her pillow tightly to her chest.

Shuddering, Hazel crawled out of bed and got ready to go and visit her newfound friends- who didn't feel new at all, really.

_Getting prettied up to go to the sewers,_ thought Hazel. _That must be a new one._ She'd heard it was supposed to be fairly warm for this time of year, unlike the rain from the previous day, so she wore a black knee-length skirt, with a red sweater and knee socks.

Hazel hoped they'd be awake. She knew she'd overslept, but she'd never really visited them until it was the afternoon before. She also knew Raph was a complete night-owl--- err, turtle?

After a runny, poorly made omelette, Hazel tied up her white sneakers and was on her way, swinging her arms excitedly as she strolled down the street. A few of her neighbors gave her dirty looks on their way to church before she disappeared into the alley.

"Hi everyone!" she smiled brightly as she entered, brushing herself off a little before she noticed the strange looks etched on their faces.

"D-Did I come at a bad time, guys?"

Mikey giggled again.

"Your sleeping beauty's in his room," he grinned.

"Cut it out!" Donnie nudged him in the ribs as Hazel blushed.

"W-What're you guys talking about?" she asked in fake innocence. _How the hell did they find out?! _

Leo, who had been silent the whole time, sighed.

"Hazel… We—"

"Mind your own business, Leo," huffed Raph, who had returned from his room.

"Oh! Raph!" squeaked Hazel, biting her lip and turning as red as her sweater.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" Raph growled, baring his teeth. "C'mon, Hazel." With that, he set his hand on her shoulder and led her out, glaring at Leo as he passed him.

"Where're we going?" Hazel asked quietly, her eyes fluttering back and forth as they walked through the dark, damp sewer tunnels.

"Nowhere, really," Raph shrugged. "I'm just sick of 'em, ya know?"

"I-I suppose I see where you're coming from. Then again, I'm an only child, too…" Raph snorted.

"Lucky."

"Who would you talk to without your brothers?"

"You?"

"I'm not always around, and besides, you just met me. That'd be a lonely life, w-wouldn't it?" Raph shrugged.

"You tell me."

"W-Well, it is lonely. E-Especially if you don't have any friends." Hazel looked down at her feet, biting her lower lip.

"Come on." Raph sat down on the edge of the concrete, and Hazel followed shakily, peering down. She did _not_ want to fall, so she held on tight to Raph's arm.

"H-How'd they find out?"

"Mikey, that brat, followed me, and so did Donnie."

"T-They'd find out anyway, r-right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that one. I don't really give a damn what they think, anyway…"

"They're your brothers," Hazel smiled, "You have to care a little bit, d-don't you?"

"Stop it," Raph smirked. "You're going to make me seem like a big sap." Hazel giggled, and it echoed off the dark walls. She had to stretch to kiss him on the cheek, but she didn't mind.

"I'll be right back, okay? I just have to check something. I'll only be a minute."

"O-Okay… I'll wait."

Raph _was_ true to his word- he'd only took a few minutes to go back and nab what he was looking for, but when he returned, there was no Hazel waiting for him. In fact, he searched all over the place without finding her.

"R-Raph? Wh-Where am I?" Hazel stammered, looking around. She couldn't move, and everything was dark… Suddenly, the thin silhouette of a woman stopped in front of her.

"Finally you awake… Miss Hazel."

--

Candy Stars: Oh, the suspense:D I promise not to wait so long, guys. In fact, I'm writing a sequel to this fic… Before it's finished! I think that'll make it more interesting, to see how things end up… then find out why they happened that way. You know what I mean?

Thank you all so much for your reviews, watches, etc! It means tons to me!


	8. Bittersweet

A/N: I don't own Ninja Turtles! Also, I have to use WordPad on here. Ugh. Sucky suckage. This is the end of this story, cos the second part is seperate. :o

"Sit back, New York City

You're not cute but you're oh so pretty" -- Five For Fighting

--

Hazel wriggled in her dark prison, staring at the woman who stood before her with a frown.

"W-Who are you?" she stammered, still struggling.

"There is no use in doing that," the cool voice replied, "My name is not important... I am the leader of the Foot clan."

"W-Why'd you take me? A-And how?!" Hazel cried, the ropes digging into her arms, "I-I don't want anything to d-do with this!" The woman frowned, but Hazel could not see.

"Do not try to deny your family's ties, Miss Hazel," responded the woman, "For we know _exactly_ who you are and your family's debts..."

"M-My parents would never--" Hazel stopped herself. Some things _did_ seem odd at times... Her father coming home very late at night, the fact that they even _moved_ to New York despite a comfortable life back home... The money she'd found on the table, the presents, the trips... The bullies going away at long last...

"Dear god," she mumbled, tears in her eyes. "I-I was so blind..." The woman ignored her.

"This was only a warning," she explained. "The real consequences will be much more severe..." Hazel felt hands ridding her of the bindings on her arms, and pulling her up to her feet, pulling her outside into the street... It was night.

"How long was I out for?" she muttered, looking around for some sort of indication of where she was...

Before she could move too far, she felt something grabbing her arm. She yelped in surprise, then let out a long sigh of relief as she saw a battered old fedora and trenchcoat.

"Raph," she whimpered, throwing her arms around him.

"Where the hell have you been?!" He whispered hurriedly. "I've been lookin' for you since yesterday... It's dangerous, kid! C'mon..."

As they returned to where they'd been sitting before Hazel's kidnapping, she burst into tears.

"Hey, hey... Easy, kid. Tell me what happened. God, I was lookin' so long I almost gave up..."

"M-My dad, Raph... He... H-He works for the..." She continued to sob.

"C'mon Hazel, you can tell me."

"The Foot," she whispered, ashamed. Raph said nothing, shocked.

"You ain't kiddin', are you kiddo..."

"I-I swear I didn't know! P-Please don't get mad..."

"Shh... It isn't your fault. It's that no-good dad of yours..." He paused. "You didn't tell 'em anything, right?"

"Of course not!" Raph grinned.

"That's my girl." Hazel leaned against him both out of affection and fear, giving him a weak smile.

"Hey, don't you have school tomorrow?" Raph frowned. "Or are you being a bad kid?"

"Teacher's convention," Hazel nuzzled against him. "C-Can I... Can I stay with you tonight? I-I'm scared..."

"Don't matter to me, kid." Raph ruffled Hazel's hair and stood. She followed behind him closely, watching carefully for any Foot ninjas. There were none.

--

"It's good to be back here," Hazel sighed, noticing that everyone had gone to bed. She slid onto the couch with a yawn, and Raph plopped down beside her.

"I-I might've been dead if I hadn't met you, y-you know..." She smiled a little.

"It's what I do." He grinned; Hazel curled her arms around him, resting her head on his bare shoulder.

"I should let you sleep. You're tired." He started to get up, but Hazel tugged on his arm needily.

"Please don't leave," she murmured. "I-I'm scared they'll come back."

"They don't know you're here." He put his hand on his shoulder. "Really."

"Please," Hazel insisted, her voice cracking. Raph smirked at her.

"Fine, you win." Raph ruffled her hair again. Hazel grabbed her head defensively.  
"Stoppit!" she whined with a grin, her hair a ball of static. She let out her pigtails one by one, and smoothed them out with her hair.

"Not bad, kid."

"Stop calling me that!" She gave him a light punch on the arm.

"Easy, easy! Would you rather..." He drooped his eyelids and grinned mockingly, "_Gosh_, Hazel, your hair sure is _purdy..._" Hazel burst into giggles, and nearly _leaped_ into Raph's lap when she heard footsteps.

"I understand you two are having fun and all..." Leo groaned, rubbing his head, "But can you keep it down?" Hazel turned tomato-red, still clutching the growling Raphael.

"S-Sorry Leo," she mumbled. He smiled to her as he left. Raph snickered.

"He's just jealous 'cos he doesn't have you sittin' in _his _lap." He laughed.

"I-I didn't mean to! I... Just got all nervous! And--"

"I don't mind, kiddo."

"Mm..." Hazel yawned and leaned against him, closing her eyes.

"Hey, kid..." But there was no answer from her, just a slight whimper. He heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back a little.

--

Hazel explained everything the next morning.

"The Foot?!" Leo cried exasperatedly. "That's insane!"

"Tell me about it," sighed Hazel. "It's _just_ like in comic books, you know? It's never the rich, snotty kids who have the bad things happen to them!" She began to pull on her hair.

"Calm down," Leo sighed, "We'll make sure nothing happens."

"I'm just so worried..." She made a sudden realization. "Oh, crap! I've got to feed Apple! I'll be back later, okay?" She ran off, feeling sorry for her poor lonely kitten.

As she turned the key to her front door, she heard a faint sound, muffled, almost. She peered around the corner, frowning.

"M-Mom?" She inquired, confused. "I thought you were in Japan for another few days..." Her mother blew her nose into a tissue, eyes bloodshot. Hazel could tell she'd been crying for a very long time.

"M-Mom, what's wrong?" Hazel sat down beside her on the living room couch.

"Y-Your father," she stammered, "H-He's left."

--

Candy Stars: Suspense!? D: Yes! You shall have to wait! This wraps up this story but the second part will be soon:D Yay! 3 Please review, and thanks to anyone who has reviewed, or read, or favourited... :)


End file.
